# Equalizer configuration - What's wrong with a smile? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 18, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equalizer-configuration-whats-wrong-with-a-smile/304494 "2005-05-18T23:02:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equalizer-configuration-whats-wrong-with-a-smile/304494/1 "2005-05-18T23:02:59Z")
I learnt (or _decided_) at an early age, that the best sound is achieved when you max bass and treble and gradually reduce the midrange so that your equalizer looks like a big smile. But all the presets on the various software equalizers never have the smile. They all look completely different, and always sound considerably worse than the smile. Why is this? ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equalizer-configuration-whats-wrong-with-a-smile/304494/2 "2005-05-19T00:26:04Z")
That’s because music is engineered to be flat, i.e. all frequencies represented more-or-less equally. With more than 30 years in the audio business, I haven’t encountered anyone else who likes to listen to music with all the bass boosted, all the frequencies where the main insturments and voices are reduced by the maximum amount, and the frequencies containing the screech and hiss increased. Maybe it’s just you! I know engineers who would tear out their hair if they knew what you were doing to their carefully-crafted recordings… ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equalizer-configuration-whats-wrong-with-a-smile/304494/3 "2005-05-19T22:04:50Z")
Im gonna hi-jack this baby wide open. I’m a Complete idiot. What purpose does Equalizers serve? I mean didn’t the original artist figure all of this out when they recorded the first time? Seriously, my Winamp has an Equalizer, and to be honest, thats the only one I “have”. What is the point? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equalizer-configuration-whats-wrong-with-a-smile/304494/4 "2005-05-19T22:14:37Z")
I’ve always assumed it was to make up for the vagueries in the sound system’s hardware setup. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equalizer-configuration-whats-wrong-with-a-smile/304494/5 "2005-05-19T22:19:03Z")
Their only use is to change the tonal color of sound from what it was coming in. \ In the home, with a serious hi-fi system and excellent speakers, you might use one to adjust frequencies that are a problem in your room. If you have lots of carpet and curtains and plush furniture, they will absorb the high frequencies, making your music sound a bit dull. The placement of your speakers will affect the bass response. You might use the EQ to decrease or increase the amount of perceived bassiness in your speakers. In recording studios and live sound environments, equalizers are a necessity, to compensate for deficiencies in the room / auditorium / studio. You can isolate the frequencies of an instrument, and get rid of all the bands that contain no musical information. This helps in the mixing stage. However, an awful lot of people are just like you. They don’t really know what an EQ is for, and probably don’t have a system that needs one. In this case, they’re a glorified version of the bass and treble knobs. Like on your Winamp. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equalizer-configuration-whats-wrong-with-a-smile/304494/6 "2005-05-19T22:19:19Z")
Forgive the double post, an on-topic thought occured. On the topic of the OP: I’ve randomly played with equalizer configurations on various sound systems and media players, and the ‘smile’ is the worst sound such playing has ever resulted in. Even worse than doing the complete opposite (killing the extremes, cranking the mid ranges). ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equalizer-configuration-whats-wrong-with-a-smile/304494/7 "2005-05-20T00:09:00Z")
Another use for equalizers is to change the tonal characteristics of music on purpose. That’s why many modern equalizers, like those in mp3 players, have presets. Some people like to listen to what is called a “classic curve”, which looks like an elongated ‘V’, with the bass boosted, the midrange slightly reduced, and the treble boosted. There will be other variations for different effects. Some music sounds OK this way. But it isn’t what the producer meant for it to sound like. If you like to adjust the bass and treble on your music, by all means, go ahead! I didn’t mean to imply that except for professional installations, equalizers were useless. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equalizer-configuration-whats-wrong-with-a-smile/304494/8 "2005-05-20T00:54:17Z")
Once I realized what an equalizer was and what it did I could never figure out how somone could make use of it without a pink noise generator or test cd of various frequencies and a sound meter. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@MC\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_E)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equalizer-configuration-whats-wrong-with-a-smile/304494/9 "2005-05-20T01:33:02Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Once I realized what an equalizer was and what it did I could never figure out how somone could make use of it without a pink noise generator or test cd of various frequencies and a sound meter. Well, they could just adjust it so it sounded the best to them. I don’t get the whole “way the producer meant for it to sound” thing. The purpose of listening to music is to enjoy it. If you can adjust the EQ and enjoy it more, go for it. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equalizer-configuration-whats-wrong-with-a-smile/304494/10 "2005-05-20T02:49:14Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Forgive the double post, an on-topic thought occured. > > On the topic of the OP: I’ve randomly played with equalizer configurations on various sound systems and media players, and the ‘smile’ is the worst sound such playing has ever resulted in. Even worse than doing the complete opposite (killing the extremes, cranking the mid ranges). I hate the smile as well – especially for poorly-produced stuff that has a lot of hiss. But for some indie-rock I like the “drive-in theater speaker” effect – midrange all the way up, high range unchanged, bass all the way down. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equalizer-configuration-whats-wrong-with-a-smile/304494/11 "2005-05-20T09:52:59Z")
I guess I don’t get it. Then again, I can barely hear out of my left ear. I think this might be my problem.